Abby’s Scripture Rock

Inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord … my glory shall rest upon it (D&C 97:15).

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Abby stared at the pile of rocks on the table. Her Primary teacher, Sister Knecht, had set them down without any explanation. After the opening prayer, Sister Knecht put a beautiful illustration on the board. “Who can tell me what this is a picture of?”

“That’s what the Newport Beach California Temple is going to look like when it’s finished,” Abby said.

“That’s right, Abby. This is an artist’s drawing of the Newport Beach Temple.”

The temple had been announced last year, and Abby was excited for when it would be finished. She wasn’t old enough to participate in baptisms for the dead now, but she would be when the temple opened. She knew that having a temple so close was a special blessing. Some people had to travel days and days to get to a temple!

“Right now they’re laying the foundation for the temple,” Sister Knecht said. “The temple will be built on a strong foundation in case an earthquake happens.”

“Like it says in the song, ‘The wise man built his house upon a rock,’” Abby’s friend Hayley said.

“Exactly,” Sister Knecht said.

Sister Knecht held up one of the rocks. “This is a special rock,” she said. It was round and smooth and was about the size of Abby’s fist. Abby found rocks like this in the stream near her house. What was so special about a regular rock?

“This rock will be used in building part of the foundation for the temple. The architect has asked that each Primary child write his or her favorite scripture on one of these rocks before they are put in place.”

Abby grinned. She was thrilled to be a part of building the temple. But Abby liked lots of scriptures. She wasn’t sure which one she wanted to put on the rock.

“If you don’t know what you want to write on your rock yet, you can think about it during the week and write your scripture in class next week,” Sister Knecht said.

On her way home from church, Abby talked with her family about the temple. Her brothers and sisters were excited about the scripture rocks too.

“What scripture do you want to write on your rock, Abby?” her brother Nathan asked.

“I don’t know yet, but I want to pick a good one!” she said.

While she was reading her scriptures that night, Abby read, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”

Nephi was talking about Heavenly Father’s instructions to return to Jerusalem for the brass plates. Abby knew that Heavenly Father wanted her to go to the temple. He was providing a way for her to do that by building a temple close to her home.

The next week Abby wrote 1 Nephi 3:7 on her rock and gave it back to Sister Knecht. Abby felt good inside. She knew that when the temple was finished, every time she went inside it she would think of her scripture rock. It felt good to be a part of building the temple.